Pupils tackle stigma around mental health

Five students have been appointed as anti-stigma champions at Ormiston Ilkeston Enterprise Academy to raise awareness of mental health issues among young people.

Kayleigh Whitehead, Rebecca Smith, Tom White, Martyna Kluch and Josh Morley, from years seven to ten, volunteered for the roles.

They have received specialist anti-stigma training, carried out assemblies in school talking about mental health, met with the academy’s senior leadership team to discuss their ideas and organised a poster competition.

Students were asked to design a poster to raise awareness of mental health issues and the anti-stigma champions chose three winners. They were Elli Brown, Kimberley Crowther-Moore and Tynan Eggleston and their posters will be produced and displayed around the academy.

Louise Craven, safeguarding officer at the school, has been working with the students.

She said: “The students have taken the lead on this awareness raising initiative and they chose ten posters that they thought were the best and then selected the top three. We would like to reproduce the top ten and as well as display them in school we are hoping to display in the local community possibly at the library and supermarkets.”